Based on the Ford Escape platform, the Lincoln MKC is part of Lincoln's plan to remake its brand image and appeal to younger buyers.

The "small utility concept signals future Lincoln entry into the industry's fastest-growing segment," said Lincoln in a statement. No word yet on production plans, but a real-world version of the MKC is not expected in showrooms before calendar year 2016.

The MKC Concept rides on a 106.9-inch wheelbase and has an overall length of 179.3 inches.

The styling of the MKC is pure Lincoln, the first all-new vehicle from Design Chief Max Wolff since he moved to Lincoln from Cadillac in January 2011. The split-wing grille, a distinctive Lincoln feature since the Zephyr of the 1930s, and the familiar four-pointed star clearly establish the MKC's brand identity.

But other exterior features signal Lincoln's desire to update its image and ultimately reduce the average age of its buyers from 65 to 57. LED lighting, muscular lines and aggressive wheel arches contribute to an effect that, according to Lincoln, transcends "typical luxury automotive standards, furthering the brand's transformation."

Inside, observers will find the kind of appointments expected in luxury vehicles, including high-end materials, leather seating and wood accents. Lincoln has also loaded the MKC with some of the latest technical features now demanded by modern consumers. Part of what the company calls the "Lincoln Experience," these include programmable ride control, personalized lighting, a push-button gear selector and a variety of highly customizable functions.

Edmunds says: The Lincoln MKC Concept is a critical experiment for the brand. Will the pint-sized Lincoln be compelling enough to steer younger buyers away from BMW and Mercedes-Benz?

Comments

Nice looking Vehicle even is based on the Escape! Lincoln needs some real RWD sports sedans next. The MKC looks good the best version of Grill and head light yet, and the tail lights are proportion to the Vehicle unlike the tail lights on the MKZ. Lets hope they don't ruin it in production form aslo like they did the MKZ.

Take my word for it..... The big buzz at this year's Detroit Auto Show will be the new Corvette C7. That's what everyone will be talking about. You will see it on the front page of MSN to your local papers. It will be covered by the network news shows world wide. This will be the auto event of the year.
And the ZR1MAN will be there to give you "just the facts."

Wow, looks like the designers woke up. Nicely done, well proportioned, the nose is not painful to look at, in fact; it looks kinda cool. nice rear end styling. The entire body has a cohesive look to it, much better than the Escape. Good job Lincoln!! I hope that the rest of the lineup gets refreshed with similar design language.

Looks really good for Lincoln, er, I meant Lincoln Motor Works, er, I meant Lincoln Motor Company. Wait, is Lincoln making its own motors now separate from Ford? --tangent--
Anyways, this should be launching now, not debuting now. There's no reason why the production model shouldn't look exactly like this.
The shape, though, reminds me A LOT of the Land Rover Evoq so it's not a completely original design, but what is today anyway. At least it looks attractive and doesn't provoke depressing feelings like most Lincolns do.

I was kinda thinking the profile screams Audi or Saab... Nice for a Lincoln, but too bad it's just another rebadge... something Ford will never do without.
Hopefully it'll actually look like this, and not scream "HEY! I'm a Ford with a Lincoln grille! That's deserving of the massive premium over an equally equipped Ford for MUCH less!" Time will tell. At least GM usually makes sheet metal changes when they badge engineer these days. Hopefully Ford is learning that lesson.

I always like to root for the underdog and I'm currently liking Lincoln's new design language. I just hope they can make an entire package that's more compelling than the competition. This car looks to have the right stuff. Hopefully some form of a turbo charged ecoboost under the hood!

As a young business man looking to get my first luxury car, I have to say, the MKC has pulled me away from the girly GLK, and the BMW X3 ... this is the first small crossover I see myself driving. THis is an amazing vehicle.

Why do they list here that this will not be produced until 2016 when everywhere else is reporting this is a 2014 model that is essentially production ready much like the 2013 MKS concept at the 2012 NAIAS

The Lincoln MKC Concept is a critical experiment for the brand. Will the pint-sized Lincoln be compelling enough to steer younger buyers away from BMW and Mercedes-Benz?
ANSWER: Probably not! This will continue to attract more mature buyers as well as those who previously owned a Ford but want to step up to a Lincoln. BMW and Mercedes-Benz buyers probably will continue to buy BMW and Mercedes-Benz over this.

† Edmunds.com received the highest numerical score in the proprietary J.D. Power 2014 Third-Party Automotive Website Evaluation Study℠. Results based on responses from 3,381 responses, measuring 14 companies and measures third-party automotive website usefulness among new and used vehicle shoppers. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed from January 2014. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.